Roasted Balsamic Green Beans

Seasoned green beans are roasted until caramelized and then tossed with a balsamic reduction in this flavorful side dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight yet special enough for a holiday dinner!

Before I get into too many holiday goodies and cookies and treats and food gift ideas, I thought that today was as good a day as any to bring you a recipe to augment your Christmas dinner. Green beans are a pretty safe bet as far as side dishes that most people will eat, but what’s fun about them is coming up with different ways to cook them. So whether you went with the traditional Green Bean Casserole at Thanksgiving or you branched out and tried something new (and bacon-wrapped!), today I’ve got a new idea for ya!

I’m rather addicted to roasting vegetables. I think it brings out their sweetness and heightens their flavor, and the caramelized bits and pieces are always the best part. I’m a big fan of roasting a wide variety of vegetables, from potatoes and sweet potatoes, to carrots, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus, to broccoli and cauliflower. But one veggie that I hadn’t yet tried roasted was green beans. So…why not?

Given my family’s roasted veggie-loving track record, it should come as no surprise that these Roasted Balsamic Green Beans were a smashing success! You can pull them out of the oven when they’re still crisp-tender, but I prefer to let them go just a bit longer until they start caramelizing and turning dark around the edges. The result is something that can only be described as green bean French fries. Seriously, they are crispy and salty and way too easy to pop right in your mouth, one after another. Good thing they’re healthy, too!

Now tossing these guys with olive oil, salt, and pepper (pre-roasting) would honestly give them flavor enough. But I decided to kick it up a notch by drizzling them (post-roasting) with a balsamic vinegar reduction. This basically involves simmering balsamic vinegar until it’s reduced and thickened…easy-peasy!

However, I do feel obliged to caution you that you need to watch your vinegar very carefully, particularly towards the end of the cooking time. It can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. As soon as it coats a spoon, take it off the heat! If you do that, you’ll be golden. But if you don’t, you’ll be like me and burn two pots of balsamic reduction before getting it right. I blame attempted multi-tasking, which I clearly really need to give up when I’ve got something on the stove… 😛

So if you need some new side dish inspiration for an upcoming holiday meal, I hope you’ll consider roasting your green beans for a change! Roasted Balsamic Green Beans might not be the prettiest green beans you’ve ever tasted, but they’re sure to rank right up there as some of the yummiest.

Seasoned green beans are roasted until caramelized and then tossed with a balsamic reduction in this flavorful side dish that's easy enough for a weeknight yet special enough for a holiday dinner!

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Measure balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until vinegar has reduced and turned syrupy enough to coat a spoon. (If vinegar starts boiling during the cooking time, reduce heat enough to bring it down to a simmer.) Set aside.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 475°F. Place green beans in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until evenly coated. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring once halfway through, or until the edges of the beans are starting to caramelize and char.

Drizzle green beans with balsamic reduction (to taste) and toss to coat. Transfer to a bowl or serving platter and serve warm.

Notes

Balsamic syrup may be made a day ahead of time and stored at room temperature.

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